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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. current — of water
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. ground — the earth
  10. current — happening now
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bat — the animal
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. fine — all right
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — a position
  17. bound — certain
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. current — electric
  24. fine — a penalty

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com